It took nine fire crews several hours to control the blaze at the Cannonvale Shopping Centre after emergency services were called there just after 7pm.

Police say fire tore through the western side of the complex, destroying three banks, a deli, a hair salon and Target, while other parts of the centre have suffered water damage.

Mark Beale from the Whitsunday Chamber of Commerce said things were looking bleak for the local community.

Everybody's thinking 'what have we done around here to deserve this?'

Mark Beale, Whitsundays Chamber of Commerce

"It's looking pretty bad today ... the edges of the building are all cracked and burnt so I'd suggest that will be a long time before it gets up and running," he said.

"I drove past on the main road ... this morning and even through my car I could smell the smoke.

"Everybody's in shock, everybody's still upset about the bus accident and then there was the little toddler that got run over by the car, so everybody's thinking 'what have we done around here to deserve this?'"

Mr Beale was concerned what effect the fire might have on banking in the town.

He thought about 10 tenancies would be affected including ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank and Westpac.

"I really don't know where the banks are going to go for example, they might just be shut down and everybody might have to travel to Proserpine," he said.

"We do our banking there ... a lot of our tenants go in and pay their rent and their cash over the counter there because we don't take cash here."

Mr Beale said he had already been contacted by an affected business about renting new premises in the meantime.

But he said there was not a lot available in the town.

"It's a matter of getting these businesses relocated and up and running — in saying that there's only a few spots available so there's going to be a bit of chaos about that," Mr Beale said.

"Marino's cafe/restaurant has been burnt down again, they only reopened probably 12 months ago after being burnt down so they'll be devastated ... these local businesses are going to struggle for a long time.

"[There's] a lot question marks at the moment but very sad for the locals and the business community as well."